How to steer and identify reference points when exiting parallel parking?
3 Answers
Depress the clutch and brake, shift into 1st gear, turn on the left turn signal, and turn the steering wheel fully to the left. When the right front corner of the hood aligns with the roadside line on the right, straighten the wheels and continue moving forward. When the left one-third point of the hood coincides with the yellow line, turn the steering wheel one full rotation to the right. Once the vehicle body becomes parallel with the road direction, straighten the wheels by turning left and exit the parallel parking test area.
When exiting a parallel parking space, I usually first confirm that the upper edge of the rear car's bumper is no longer visible in the left side mirror. At this point, I turn the steering wheel fully to the left, allowing the front of the car to slowly move outward. Just before the right front corner of the car is about to hit the curb, I quickly straighten the steering wheel and check the distance between the car body and the curb in the right side mirror. When the rear of my car aligns with the taillights of the car behind, I turn the steering wheel fully to the right, and the front of the car naturally swings out. Throughout the process, I control the speed to avoid going too fast, keeping my foot on the brake ready to stop at any time. I observe the distance between the curb and the car behind in the side mirrors; if it's less than 30 centimeters, I readjust the angle. It's best to signal early to alert the car behind, and for beginners, practicing several times in an open area to get a feel for it is the most reliable approach.
When I first started driving, parallel parking was my biggest fear. Later, I learned the key is to focus on three points: First, wait until the entire front of the car behind is visible in the rearview mirror, then turn the steering wheel fully to the left. When your car's right headlight aligns with the rear of the car in front, straighten the wheel. Then, watch the right-side mirror. Once your car's rear passes the headlight position of the car behind, immediately turn the steering wheel fully to the right and accelerate to smoothly exit. You can also check the distance between the right front wheel and the curb through the window, maintaining a safe gap of about 20 centimeters. At night, roll down the window for better visibility, and in rainy conditions, allow extra time for observation. Avoid turning the steering wheel too sharply to prevent scraping the rims.
